Matsya, Fish Avatar of Vishnu

Matsya (Sanskrit: मत्स्य) (Fish in Sanskrit) was the first Avatar of Vishnu in Hindu mythology.



According to the Matsya Purana, the king of pre-ancient Dravida and a devotee of Lord Vishnu, Satyavrata who later becomes known as Manu was washing his hands in a river when a little fish swam into his hands and pleaded with him to save its life. He put it in a jar, which it soon outgrew. He then moved it to a tank, a river and then finally the ocean but to no avail. The fish then revealed himself to be Lord Vishnu and told him that a deluge would occur within seven days that would destroy all life. Therefore, Satyavrata was instructed to take "all medicinal herbs, all the varieties of seeds, and accompanied by the seven saints” [1] along with the serpent Vasuki and other animals.

The deluge occurred and the lord reappeared as promised and advised Sathyavrata to board the boat and fasten the serpent Vasuki to his horn as a rope to the boat.
Matsya Avatar, ca 1870.

Matsya is generally represented as a four-armed figure with the upper torso of a man and the lower of a fish. -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsya